Saints in St. Michael's Croydon

Saints in St. Michael's Croydon

For a Catechesis class on the Saints at St. Michael's Croydon, 30^th May 2019.

Saints play a crucial role in the life of the Church. They are people who are recognised for their exceptional devotion to God, and for their service to other people. Saints are remembered and commemorated for their great Christian witness in life – either in recognition for the holiness they lived their lives by, or often for a particular thing they did – and their lives, words and deeds can inspire us today. Some saints are also martyrs – people who freely gave up their lives on earth because of the love they had for Christ and for others. St. Stephen, who was stoned to death soon after the resurrection of Christ in Acts 7 for refusing to renounce his belief in Christ, is the first martyr of Christianity. An example of a modern-day martyr is St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Roman Catholic priest who took the place of a stranger who had been condemned to death at Auschwitz; the stranger and his family lived to see the saint's canonization. Some saints are recognised as Doctors of the Church – people whose work is recognised theologically as being of particular authority in Christian doctrine, especially when orthodoxy is reiterated over heresy. 

St. Michael's Croydon is a very beautiful Church building. Designed by John Loughborough Pearson and built in about 1880, it has a Gothic Revival architecture. This lends itself perfectly to the Anglo-Catholic tradition practised here, and it also provides a fitting home for the many statues, shrines and other visual representations of some very important saints. 

The Blessed Virgin Mary is well-known here at St. Michael's; but perhaps less well-known is St. Anne, the mother of Mary – and thus the Grandmother of Jesus! She is venerated both in Christianity and Islam, and although neither the Bible nor the Qur'an mention her by name, we do read of her in the Gospel of James (from about 150 AD) in the Apocrypha. She lived from about 50 BC to 12 AD, and is the patron saint of several places and professions – Canada, Brittany, Detroit, children and their carers, those without children, grandparents, mothers, pregnancy, house moves, teachers and poverty. 

St. Thomas of Canterbury, or St. Thomas Becket, was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his martyrdom just eight years later, following conflict between himself and King Henry II over the Church's privileges and rights. We have recently celebrated the Feast of St. Augustine of Canterbury, who was the first Archbishop of Canterbury and this saint's predecessor; and St. Thomas is the patron saint of secular clergy, the city of Portsmouth, Arbroath Abbey, and Exeter College Oxford. 

St. James the Greater was one of the Twelve Apostles called by Jesus, and the son of Zebedee, and lived from about 3 AD to his execution by Herod in 44 AD (Acts 12:1-2). We read of his calling to follow Christ in Mark 1:19-20 and Matthew 4:21-22, and he is one of only three apostles to accompany Jesus at His Transfiguration. He is the patron saint of many places, including Spain (his shrine being in the Santiago de Compostela), Guatemala and parts of Mexico and the Philippines; and he is also the patron saint of woodcarvers, oyster fishers and pharmacists. 

St. Martin de Porres was a lay Dominican brother, who lived from 1579 to 1639. His life demonstrated a concern for the poor; he lived a simple lifestyle himself, often fasting from certain foods. Moreover, through his love of others he established a children's hospital and an orphanage. He is the patron saint of mixed-race people, innkeepers, barbers, and racial equality. His work for the poor inspires the work of many Christian organisations and charities today such as CAFOD (the Catholic Agency For Overseas Development). Furthermore, it also inspires us today – for instance here at St. Michael's Croydon, we collect food, clothes, toiletries and other things for the refugee day centre at West Croydon Baptist Church, where I volunteer. 

St. Joseph, sometimes known as St. Joseph the Worker, is the wife of the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to the Apocrypha, Joseph is the father of a number children including James, Simon and Jude – but most significantly, he is the foster-father of Jesus Christ. Jesus is fully human as well as fully divine, and needed to be fostered and nurtured after His birth and Incarnation – just like any newborn baby. He is the patron saint of the Catholic Church, unborn children, fathers, workers, carpenters, immigrants, and of course people who are or have been in foster care – like me, which is why St. Joseph is one of the saints who inspires me the most. 

St. Michael, Archangel, is our principal patron saint here at St. Michael's Croydon (along with St. James, and all the angels). He is also the patron saint of the Jewish people, the Guardian of the Catholic Church, Vatican City, police officers, Germany, France, Ukraine, Toronto, Brussels and parts of the Philippines. St. Michael is thought by Jehovah's Witnesses to be Jesus, in his pre-human and post-resurrection existence – and Michael is identified as Adam by Mormons; but that's not our understanding! Michael the Archangel appears in the Book of Daniel, and particularly in the Book of Revelation where he is the one who leads the armies of God to defeat Satan and all evil spirits. This is the source for the 'Holy Michael, Archangel' prayer which is often said towards the end of the Rosary. 

St. George, or St. George of Lydda, is of course patron saint here in England – but he is also the patron saint for many other places around the world, including Ethiopia, Georgia and Catalonia, as well as a number of universities. He often appears as an armoured soldier, and is depicted as slaying a dragon as per the legend; although we do not actually know many details about St. George or his life with any certainty. What is widely accepted, though, is that he is a martyr – he refused to give up his Christian faith. 

St. Ambrose was bishop of Milan. He lived from about 340-397 AD, and is a Doctor of the Church. He is one of the most fierce defenders of Christian orthodoxy, firmly reiterating how Christ has always existed – that is, His attribute of pre-existence, being fully divine as well as fully human. He spoke against the heresy of Arianism, the belief that Christ had been created by God at a point in time. St. Ambrose is the patron saint of bishops, bees and their keepers, livestock, and Milan; and he also wrote the well-known Christian hymn of praise, the Te Deum, which we say during prayer offices on particular feast days and has been set to many choral anthems and settings. 

St. Gregory the Great was a Pope, and another Doctor of the Church, who lived from about 540-604 AD. He is the patron saint of musicians and singers, as well as students and teachers; another saint who particularly inspires me, given my love of academic study and how I'm a musician (I sing and play the flute – and I've also started learning the ukulele, too!). He is particularly remembered by theologians and Christian scholars for his Commentary on Job. 

St. Augustine of Hippo is a philosopher, and a particularly well-known Doctor of the Church. He is the patron of the Augustinians, brewers, printers, and theologians. Living from 354-430 AD, he was a bishop and has written some of the most influential Christian works, including The City of God, De Doctrina Christiana, and of course his Confessions. St. Augustine's Confessions are almost unique in his field, because of their genre; the work is written as a prayer to God, as he journeys from his earlier affiliations with the Manichees towards Christ, and his coming to repentance from earlier sins. This is a helpful and reassuring reminder that even the saints are not perfect – noone is perfect, apart from God – and we can look to them for inspiration as we seek to live our lives as best as we can. 

St. Jerome, who lived from about 347-420 AD, is another Doctor of the Church. He is best known for the Vulgate – this is his extensive translation of the Bible into Latin, and also for his commentaries on the Gospels. He is the patron saint of archaeologists, Biblical scholars, libraries and their librarians, students and translators. 

These are just some of the many saints who are depicted in the Church building at St. Michael's Croydon. Which of these saints inspire you the most? And are you inspired by the lives and works of other saints?